George S. Lowry, Chairman of Swann Galleries, served as President and Chief Auctioneer from 1970 to 2000. He became Chairman in 2001.
In 1969, George acquired the auction house from its founder Benjamin Swann. Since then, he steered the company from a three-person business serving the book trade to its current position as the leading American auctioneer of rare and antiquarian books and works of art on paper.
George continues to be active in the auction and antiquarian book worlds, where he has taught courses on collecting and the economics of the book trade, and organized book fairs. He serves on several library boards, and is in demand as a benefit auctioneer.
He graduated from Columbia University with a focus on statistics and economics.
Updated October 13, 2016